A NEW LIFELouise Geaney studied law but ended up working in journalism because of her love for writing. However, the birth of her first child in 2004 led her down the road of becoming a 'mompreneur'. She set up a website for mothers and also produces daily planners aimed at parents, writes Olivia Kelleher
LOUISE GEANEY always had a passion for writing but when she left the Sacred Heart Convent in Roscrea in 1991 she decided to study law through arts at University College Galway (UCG). She found aspects of law very interesting but she could never really imagine herself getting in to the "nitty gritty" of the day-to-day life of a solicitor.
Geaney had a nagging suspicion that law was not the life for her and in the middle of her degree she took a year out and travelled to Australia.
"I would have loved to have stayed. The only reason I came back to Ireland was this feeling that I had to finish my degree. My year visa was up and I felt that if I didn't finish it then I never would."
Geaney completed her BBL in 1998 - she was 25 and a sense of panic about her future kicked in. One of the options was to go to Blackhall Place to train as a solicitor. However, she didn't want to be dealing with "bread and butter paperwork" and "fighting about land" and felt there had to be more to life.
That said, college was expensive - she was on student grants and felt guilty that she didn't have a longing to pursue a legal career.
She worked for a time at the Druid Theatre in Galway where she assisted in the making of costumes and thoroughly enjoyed the work.
"I am sure people thought 'she has a degree and she is making costumes' but I really loved it. But I wanted to be a journalist. I applied for the applied communications degree in Galway. I knew it was hard to get in to as there were only 16 or 17 in the class. But I got in which was great."
Geaney admits to having been a "nervous wreck" when she signed up for the course in Galway. She read an article about one of her classmates who had worked as an intern at the White House for the summer and worried that she wouldn't be good enough.
Everyone seemed to have experience in papers and radio while her portfolio consisted of an interview with a costume designer and a "few pieces from the Galway Advertiser".
However, she loved the course and made friends with her classmates, going on to graduate in 2001. Following her graduation she went to RTÉ Cork on work experience.
RTÉ Southern correspondent Paschal Sheehy gave her several opportunities, putting her on the road with the cameraman to see what the job was really all about.
She also met her husband-to-be Bryan Fitzpatrick while on work experience and what was supposed to be a brief stint in Cork ended up in her setting down roots in Castlemartyr in the county.
"Bryan was doing sound on a Cabinet meeting in Killarney in June. I was tagging along with him and the photographer. In the pouring rain in Killarney we went for a brew and he said he would show me around Cork.
"It was all very unplanned. We got engaged in Christmas 2001 and ended up getting married the following May."
Geaney worked for the Corkman for a time before leaving the paper to freelance on a national basis for papers such as the Irish Independent and The Irish Times.
She interviewed well-known names such as Mo Mowlam and had the opportunity to cover the high-profile Ian Bailey libel case. However, the downside was having her phone on all the time and the difficulties of saying "no" when you are a freelance.
She became a mother in 2004 and found the freelance life to be extremely stressful. She was under pressure to be available for work and invariably ended up typing up copy with her daughter Emma on her knee.
"It was stressful. I wanted to work from home and it gave me the opportunity to think about other ways of working at home other than freelancing. When you are working at home, resources are very limited. A lot of people are turning to the internet. I was doing everything on the internet. So I was wondering how to make a career of it."
Geaney read a feature about work-at-home mums and thought this was the perfect avenue for her.
In the States, podcasting is huge but nobody was going down the parenting podcast route in Ireland. Geaney's podcast is basically a radio show for parents, which can be heard over the internet.
She set up the Go Mums parenting website in 2006. The podcasting has proved to be a major success and she has also produced special diaries/daily planners for the Christmas market. The diaries are aimed at mothers and contain parenting tips and advice.
Geaney recently merged her podcasting site with the mumcentric site, basically fusing her stay-at-home business with that of another "mompreneur" Darina Loakman. She also organises parenting workshops in Cork.
She says parents looking for an alternative to being out at work all day should consider the mompreneur route.
"You do need childcare and workspace but it is possible. I do think I have a better outlook on life. I don't have the same pressure - it is very much my own schedule. If there is pressure to a deadline it is my own self-imposed pressure. There is a sense of self satisfaction working for yourself. You have achieved something. You have something to show, which I am very happy about."
For details log on to mumcentric.com or www.go-mums.com